We’ve already heard some quotes from Miley Cyrus’ August cover interview with Elle Magazine. Miley gushed over the clothing line she’s working on with Max Azaria for Walmart, saying that she’d pay $500 for jeans they’re selling for $20 and that the line “is going to good for, like, Middle America, and it will be great for kids that really want to be in fashion but they don’t have it available.” Miley’s statement wasn’t offensive as much as poorly worded.

Some of the best and least reported quotes came from her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, who confirmed what people have long assumed about his relationship with Miley – he’s her friend “first and foremost, then a daddy.” No wonder he set her up with her last boyfriend, 20 year-old Justin Gaston. That’s what friends do, while protective daddies try to keep their daughters from dating much older guys.

Billy Ray on why their family is in show business
“Our lives have always been in the big tent of the circus. The kids grew up in that tent. Show business has always been the cornerstone of our livelihood. It’s what we do.”

Billy Ray on Miley finding her calling early
“She always had a calling. You couldn’t keep her off the stage. If she was at the show, she was on the stage. She grew up around Carl Perkins, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings… it rubbed off.”

Billy Ray on his relationship with Miley
“Teenagers will be teenagers – gotta give them room to go. We talk about a lot of things she’s going through. I’m a friend first and foremost, then a daddy, and then a business partner. I’m not going to talk about that [being a matchmaker]. It’s important to me to keep things between us. Miley’s got enough people criticizing her and pointing fingers.”

Billy Ray on Miley choosing her own path
“I told Miley yesterday, at this stage of the fame, whatever she does I just hope that it brings her happiness. It doesn’t matter to me if she wants to do another season of Hannah; I’ll be there. If she wants to go back to Tennessee and ride horses, I’ll do that. The only reason she should do anything is for her happiness. She doesn’t have to put up with this bullsh*t – the blood-sucking leeches that use you for everything they can use you for, man, and throw you out on the streets. It’s the nature of the business. I hate the music business. I love the music.

“[Hollywood and the music industry] got a lot in common. It’s that same mentality – egos, money. I’m gonna leave you with this: Music, art, love, passion – that’s why the Cyruses do what they do. Bottom line.”

[From Elle Magazine, print edition, August, 2009, subheaders added]

I think Billy Ray’s heart is in the right place, but he gets a lot well-deserved criticism for being too permissive with his daughter. She just turned 16 and by many accounts the guy her father hand-picked for her, Justin Gaston, was staying overnight with her family until their breakup earlier this summer. Miley is now dating avowed virgin Nick Jonas, also 16, and she recently tweet-denied the In Touch report that Nick had bought her a $75,000 “commitment ring,” writing “I woke up this morning and thought I’d check up on the daily gossip and apparently Nick Jonas gave me a $75,000 ring? Its all true. Ha! P.S. My last tweet was very sarcastic.Don’t believe anything until I tweet it :)” Oh Miley, you’ve avoided controversy for a while. Please keep it that way.

Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus are shown at the German premiere of Hannah Montana: The Movie on 4/25/09. Credit: WENN.com

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